Internally advertised General Service (GS) fixed-term appointment (FTA) positions located in Headquarters are open to GS staff members currently serving in New York/Washington D.C. who hold a UNDP permanent or FTA who are either US Permanent Residents, US citizens or holders of a valid G4 visa at the time of their application and whose G4 visa has been acquired on account of their employment in the UN Systems based in New York or Washington, DC.

Externally advertised GS fixed-term appointment and temporary appointment (TA) positions located in New York/Washington D.C. are open to candidates who are either US Permanent Residents, US Citizens or holders of a valid G4 visa at the time of their application and whose G4 visa has been acquired on account of their employment in the UN Systems based in New York or Washington, DC.

Current UNDP GS staff serving outside of HQ must meet the eligibility criteria stated above prior to their application.

Selected candidates who meet the above mentioned eligibility criteria are responsible for their own travel and/or relocation costs.

Applicants under serious consideration for short-listing of posts requiring accountancy and finance skills, must take the UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (UNDP AFT) prior to short-listing.

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of UN Women’s Europe & Central Asia (ECA) Division and in close consultation with the Programme Specialists, the Programme Associate will provide programmatic, financial and administrative support, in adherence to UN Women/UNDP procedures, to the Division’s work in backstopping regional and sub-regional programmes and projects.

The Programme Associate works in close collaboration with operations, programme and project staff in the ECA region and UN Women HQ, as required, to resolve complex finance-related issues and exchanges of information. UN Women is presently in the process of strengthening its field capacities at country and regional levels leading to a new regional architecture. Depending on the outcome of this exercise, the Programme Associate will need to liaise with the Regional Office (RO), Multi-Country Office (CO) and newly strengthened Country Offices (CO), upon their establishment.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

Support the formulation of programme strategies and implementation of the ECA Region’s Annual Work Plans

Support the administration of budgets and functioning of the offices at HQ and in the ECA Region

Administrative support to office management

Support resource mobilization efforts

Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

Support the formulation of programme strategies and implementation of the ECA Region’s Annual Work Plans:

Support the presentation of background information for the formulation of programmes for the Region prior to the Programme Appraisal Committee’s approval, draft project documents, work plans, budgets and proposals on implementation arrangements

Support the collection, analysis and presentation of background information for the preparation of Annual Work Plans for the Region

Support the administration of budgets and functioning of the offices at HQ and in the ECA Region:

Monitor all programmes and project budgets for the ECA Division Chief. Organize data and information, prepare and maintain records, documents and control plans for monitoring of project/programme implementation and draft routine correspondence, as appropriate.

Review budget proposals received from UN Women offices in the Region and correct, if necessary, to ensure programme objectives are attained and organizational policies and procedures are adhered to prior to forwarding to Finance for Atlas processing

Creation of projects in ATLAS, preparation of required budget revisions, revision of project awards and project status, determination of unutilized funds, and operational and financial closure of projects

Provision of guidance to the ECA offices on routine implementation of projects, tracking use of financial resources

Implementation of the control mechanism for projects through the preparation, monitoring and modification of budgets status, as necessary

Preparation and review of project financial reports

Presentation of information for audit of projects, support implementation to audit recommendations

Support the implementation of the ongoing Regional Architecture process, including the rollout of the full delegation of authority to existing COs and the establishment and strengthening of the new RO, MCO and Cos

Provide administrative support to Programme Management focusing on achievement of the following results:

Review and ascertain whether subcontracting documentation is in conformity with programme objectives, funds availability and in line with UN Women rules and regulations

Draft routine correspondence on related financial matters, as per the request of the Division

Collect briefing materials and draft briefing notes for missions and for discussions for projects under his/her responsibility. Assist in the preparation of reports to funding institutions and others.

Coordinate all ATLAS and non-ATLAS related administrative support for the Division, i.e. preparation of requisitions for development projects, processing of travel related transactions, organization of meetings and preparation of documentation for missions including mission reports. Organize and update reference materials, publications and the filing system.

Prepare shortlists of consultants for selection by supervisor, initiate recruitment actions for consultants, prepare draft Terms of Reference, ascertain availability, obtain government clearance of selected individual and request the Human Resources Centre to undertake recruitment. Follow up on actions as necessary.

Assist in the organization of workshops and development of training materials

Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices

Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice

Impact of Results:

The key results have an impact on the overall performance of the Programme Unit and success in the implementation of programme strategies. Accurate analysis, data entry and presentation of information ensure proper programme implementation.

Competencies

Core values and Guiding principles:

Integrity:

Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Professionalism:

Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.

Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity:

Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff.

Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Corporate Competencies:

Ethics and Values:

Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity

Organizational Awareness:

Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment

Development and Innovation:

Take charge of self-development and take initiative

Work in teams:

Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Communicating and Information Sharing:

Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication

Self-management and Emotional Intelligence:

Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others

Conflict Management:

Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.

Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge

Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making:

Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making

Functional Competencies:

Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude

Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure

Demonstrates openness to change and an ability to manage complexities

Ability to perform a variety of specialized tasks related to programme management

Focuses on results for the client and responds positively to feedback

Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new systems, including new IT based systems

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Completion of high school (secondary education).

Bachelor degree in Business, Public Administration or Political Science desirable but not a requirement.

Experience:

6 years of experience in administrative or programme experience is required at the national or international level.

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience with the handling of web based management systems.

Experience in supporting programme management in terms of the design, planning and implementation of programmes, managing budgets and other related data, and reporting

Good knowledge of UN Women policies and practices is an advantage

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English. Knowledge of other UN languages an asset.

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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